2007 European Championship Qatar Challenge - Medal Winners

Full Event Coverage

Open Individual Division
Gold - United Arab Emirates - Mubarak Khalifa riding Zakah Zahara
Silver - France - Jean Phillippe Frances riding Hanaba du Bois
Bronze - Spain - Jaume Punti Dachs riding Elvis


Open Team Division
Gold - France
Silver - Bahrain
Bronze - Spain


Europe Individual Division
Gold - France - Jean Phillippe Frances riding Hanaba du Bois
Silver - Spain - Jaume Punti Dachs riding Elvis
Bronze - Spain - Maria Alvarez Ponton riding Nobby


Europe Team Division
Gold - France
Silver - Spain
Bronze - Switzerland


Best Condition
Hanaba du Boise ridden by Jean Phillippe Frances

EuropeanChampionship: Vetting In

The Vetting In

VET-IN DAY - Merri Melde

It's a hazy, warm, muggy Portuguese morning as the teams assemble with their horses for the vetting in for tomorrow's championship ride. The atmosphere (so far) seems to lack tension, and the vet check flows smoothly, with officials directing horse and groom traffic, taking the entries into the vetting area team by team. After they pass the vet check they are fitted with an electronic timer around their neck, and their numbers written on their butts with the grease pens. A few horses are wound up enough at the trot out they have to do it twice (or three times), but that's mostly because they've been separated from their buddies. The American horses look good and rested after their long journey.
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EuropeanChampionship: The Show Begins!

The Opening

The fun and chaos of a European Endurance Championship! Steph misses one of her flights due to insane security lines in London-Gatwick, there is no rent-a-car place at the airport that I rented a car from, I call the hotel and they have shuttle, and then they don't have a shuttle, the new hotel is so far out the taxi service is not quite sure how to get there or what to charge. I finally get to the hotel, throw everything all over mine and Steph's room (she will think a tornado hit), grab my gear, take another looooooooooong taxi ride to the venue (later one of the Swiss team said, ?I think your taxi driver was just driving you in biiiiiiiiiiiiiig circles, for fun!?), and once I'm there I realize I have forgotten some of my equipment. [More ...]

European Championship: Horses' progress to be tracked with GPS chips

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Gulf News
Alcochette, Portugal: Horses taking part in tomorrow's 160-km FEI European Open Championship will be fitted with a GPS chip in their collars to keep track of their progress.

"This is the first time that a GPS system will be used in a major endurance championship and this has been done at the initiative of the Portuguese Equestrian Federation," said Hallvard Sommerseth, the Foreign Technical Delegate for the championship.

Insight

The Norwegian veteran of endurance rides said the introduction of the GPS will help keep track of the runners at various stages of the competition.

The move will aid in ensuring the welfare of the horse as well as it will give organisers insight into how the runners are faring. In endurance the horses run in stages of about 30 to 40kms at a stretch and are subjected to stiff veterinary checks after every stage to ensure their welfare. In between the stages the horses are given about 20 to 30 minutes to recover for the next stage.

"The European Championship will also be bigger and better this year as there will be live coverage of the event on Portuguese TV as well as Dubai and Qatar TV channels," Sommerseth added.

The move will aid in ensuring the welfare of the horse as well as it will give organisers insight into how the runners are faring.
EnduranceEurope.net Coverage

UAE the team to beat

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Gulf News

Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum , Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum and Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum will lead the UAE's challenge, along with Sultan Bin Sulayem in tomorrow's 160-km endurance ride in the World Endurance Games.

Alcochette, Portugal: Nearly 90 riders from 20 countries will start tomorrow's 160-km FEI European Open Endurance Championship here about 25 kms away from the capital Lisbon and the team to beat will be the United Arab Emirates.

Ever since the UAE won its first-ever international championship, which was here in Portugal when the 1999 European Open championship was jointly held with Spain, the UAE riders have dominated the open category.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was the architect of that first win in 1999 when the UAE won the team gold and after that the UAE has virtually dominated the Open championships.

Shaikh Mohammad himself won the 2003 individual gold in 2003 while Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum won the individual gold in 2001 and now Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum starts as defending champion having won the gold in Compiegne, France in 2005.

Medal fight

Shaikh Mohammad announced the team last month which includes Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Sultan Bin Sulayem and Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya. The 160-km European Championship will have medals on offer for the Open event as well as the European event and the UAE will be challenged by traditional European powers France, Italy, Germany and hosts Portugal while two other GCC countries, Bahrain and Qatar along with the US add another dimension to the medal fight.

Ali Moosa, Endurance Head at the Dubai Equestrian Club said the UAE horses have been based in Newmarket through the summer and have been well prepared for the event.

The UAE, who last swept honours in the Doha Asiad winning the team gold and the individual gold and bronze are once again expected to be a strong force here.

Strong advantage

While the final team composition and the horses will be known today after the final pre-event veterinary check, the championship has attracted a strong field of 90 entries with at least 14 countries in the team championship.

Hosts Portugal will have a strong advantage

EnduranceEurope.Net Coverage

FEI European Endurance Championship Definite Entries Available

Riders from 20 countries have gathered near Lisbon Portugal for the 2007 FEI European Endurance Championship and Open Portugal 2007 Qatar Challenge to be held on Saturday, 8 September. The much anticipated event has began to the festive display of sport horses of Portugal. The stabling of the entrants at the COMPANHIA DAS LEZÍRIAS venue has taken place and this afternoon will feature the official opening ceremonies of the competition.

Riders from Europe are joined by those from the Middle East and North America to compete over the 160km course. While the course is relatively flat with excellent footing, the challenge is anticipated to be the heat and humidity at the event! The 30c and 45% humidity with slight overcast will prove to be the deciding factor in this event!

Full EnduranceEurope.net coverage will begin with the opening ceremonies with Merri Melde and Steph both on site! [More ...].

Mexico: Endurance Oriental Ride

El dia 30 de Junio del año en curso se llevo al cabo la segunda competencia de Endurance en las instalaciones de la Hacienda Santiago Texmelucan en Oriental, Pue. organizada por el Club Hipico La Ladrillera de Teziutlan, Pue.

Se convoco este evento a nivel nacional contando con la presencia de varios estados de la republica, entre ellos el Edo. de Mexico, Distrito Federal, Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Michoacán, asi como presencia de jinetes de varias nacionalidades; India, Canadiense, Argentina.

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